Abdullah denies getting report on Altantuya case
[Source]

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has refuted an allegation that he had received a written report from military intelligence over the murder of Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu.

“Of course I am concerned (over the allegation by Malaysia Today blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin). What Raja Petra did is unacceptable … because what he stated is incorrect.

“It is stated (in Raja Petra’s statutory declaration) that I received a report from the military intelligence. That is not correct,” he said yesterday.

Abdullah said this when asked to comment on the statutory declaration made by Raja Petra on June 18 in which he stated, among others, that Abdullah had received a written report from military intelligence on Altantuya’s murder. – Bernama

Surprise, surprise. Did anybody actually think he would admit to reading such a document if it did exist? He would even deny the very existence of the Military Intelligence Unit if he could. How could he explain why the military was even looking into the matter if he did not have any concern with somebody in Parliament? In all likelihood, as it is always in Malaysia, some poor sap will get blamed for the murder, and the masterminds and the people in power will go free. And people wonder why nobody has any trust in the legal system of Malaysia?

Probe claims for fresh evidence, Karpal urges A-G
[source]

KUALA LUMPUR: DAP chairman and lawyer Karpal Singh said yesterday the attorney-general should investigate the contents of blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin’s statutory declaration on the Altantuya Shaariibuu murder if it helps bring new evidence to the on-going murder case.

“For him to make such claims in the affidavit makes me think he may know or have something (on the case),” he said at a press conference held at his law office on Jalan Pudu Lama with Altantuya’s father Shaariibuu Setev. Asked if Raja Petra’s action to make the declaration public amounted to subjudice as claimed by police, Karpal said he did not see how this was so as the murder trial was ongoing and it made sense to include new evidence which may crop up to be made admissible in the case.

He said although the prosecution has closed its case in the trial, they should not be deterred from further probing the disclosures. He added if the allegations were found to be true, the AG can apply to the court to re-open the prosecution’s case. Karpal said he welcomed the AG’s assurance that he will probe to seek the truth as he views the allegations seriously.

He said it was important that every effort be made to see that the trial goes on fairly as it is not just the family of Altantuya and the Mongolian government who will need to be appeased but the international community. The lawyer said he will go to the AG’s office at 10am today (Wednesday) with Setev although an appointment had not been secured with the AG. Speaking with the help of a translator, Setev said he learnt about Raja Petra’s affidavit after reading the newspapers and had sought Karpal’s advice on it.

In his declaration, Raja Petra said that he was informed that three people, including the wife of a VIP, were present at the crime scene on the day Altantuya was said to have been blown up with plastic explosives. Following this, a police report was lodged by the AG’s Chamber. The police were quoted as saying that they are scrutinising the report and are expected to call up Raja Petra and all those named in the affi davit for questioning.

Police had also said the blogger’s actions to post the statutory declaration on his website was subjudice and he could face charges and imprisonment of up to two years for the offence. At the Dewan Rakyat yesterday, Deputy Speaker Datuk Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar rejected a motion by Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Ipoh Timur) to discuss Raja Petra’s statutory declaration on the grounds that the murder trial was going on at the High Court.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi yesterday refuted an allegation that he had received a written report from military intelligence pertaining to the murder of Altantuya, reports Bernama. “Of course I am concerned (over the allegation by Malaysia-Today blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin). What Raja Petra did is unacceptable … because what he stated is incorrect. “It is stated (in Raja Petra’s statutory declaration) that I received a report from the military intelligence. That is not correct,” he told reporters after chairing a meeting of a special committee on enhancing the competitiveness of oil palm, at Parliament House

Shaariibuu makes surprise visit to court
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SHAH ALAM: Setev Shaariibuu, the father of Altantuya Shaariibuu, turned up in court unannounced
early yesterday morning, to the surprise of press photographers. Shaariibuu, who emerged from the lift at about 9.55am, walked up to reporters and police offi cers who were familiar with him and shook their hands before making his way into court to hushed whispers from the family members and friends of the accused, who were also taken aback to see him there.

He was accompanied by Mongolian interpreter Enkhhjargal Tsetsgee and Mongolian consulgeneral in Malaysia Datuk Syed Abdul Rahman Al-Habsh, who said Shaariibuu had arrived in Malaysia on Sunday night and is expected to return home on Thursday.

Shaariibuu, who spoke to reporters through the interpreter outside the court later, said his visit was in anticipation of the end of the prosecution’s case. He was also anxious to know if the accused would be called to make their defence.

However, this would be some time away because the court set July 23 to hear submissions on two mpeachment proceedings, two trials-within-a-trial and the trial proper. Shaariibuu distributed copies
of a statement to the reporters listing several points he had been pondering over the last two years.

He also gave out copies of a letter from the Mongolian foreign affairs ministry to Tun Abdul Majid Tun
Hamzah, head of the civil division of the Attorney General’s (AG) Chambers. The letter was signed by its consular department deputy director, Yadmaa Ariunbold, with copies to Mongolian MPs, Mongolia’s
foreign minister, Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail and lawyer Karpal Singh, who is holding a
watching brief for the Mongolian government.

In the letter, Yadmaa recapped that he had visited Malaysia from May 29 and met officials from police, foreign ministry and Tun Abdul Majid to reiterate Mongolia’s position on the issue. “With goodwill between our two countries I anticipate that the Malaysia side would ensure fair and independent court trial till the end,” the letter said. “Any further ruling and judgment on above stated case hatever
violating the internationally accepted norms and standards, would force Mongolia for taking an action that could affect bilateral relations between our friendly nations and inter alia, to bring this issue to the attention of the regional and international arena with pure legal concept of human right and democracy.

“The government of Mongolia remains following entire legal process on this severe criminal case
with particular attention.” Shaariibuu did not want to comment on blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin’s statutory declaration implicating a VIP’s wife and two armed forces personnel in the murder, adding that it was not for him to say. He, however, referred to Raja Petra as a “person seeking justice”. On the progress of the case, he said: “We’ll wait for the submissions and then we’ll see what happens after that.”

Asked if his government or anyone had told him what he needed to do, Shaariibuu said: “I am well known in Mongolia and many people have told me what to do and say but, at the end of the day, it is my call.

Its been a long trail, and it seems its gonna get much longer as well. Its only a matter of time before we see if Justice can really prevail in this nation of ours. Many, myself included have been following this case closely, and many more, including myself, doubt justice will be served. This case to us is a litmus test on the real state of Malaysian Justice System, and on the Police.

Prosecution Closes Case After 124 Days
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SHAH ALAM: After calling 84 witnesses over 124 days, the prosecution for the Altantuya Shaariibuu murder trial wrapped up its case yesterday. Judge Datuk Mohd Zaki Md Yasin fixed July 23 to hear submissions for the main trial, two trials-within-a-trial and two impeachment hearings. The prosecution also offered to the defence 144 witnesses who were not called to testify during its case which began on July l8, last year.

Police Special Action Squad (UTK) C/Insp Azilah Hadri, 32, and his colleague Cpl Sirul Azhar, 37, are charged with murdering Altantuya Shaariibuu, 28, at Mukim Bukit Raja between 10pm on Oct 19 and 1am on Oct 20, 2006. Political Analyst Abdul Razak Baginda is charged with abetting them.

Mohd Zaki who said the court had amassed 4,000 pages of written evidence which had all been typed out for reference, asked defence counsel to make written submissions to the court. Azilah’s lawyer Datuk Hazman Ahmad who agreed, saying that he would make point-by-point written references to the submissions which were to be presented, could not say how many days he would need to complete the
submission.

Kamarul Hisham Kamaruddin, counsel for Sirul Azhar, said he needed two full days. Mohd Zaki outlined the proceedings, saying: “We’ll start with the two impeachment proceedings, followed by the two trials within-a-trial in respect of Section 27 (of the Evidence Act) and then submissions on the main trial.”
“If you can, do it in English,” he told the lawyers. The two impeachment proceedings are against the two police personnel.

One was on the sequence of events on the night of Oct 19, 2006, as testified by L/Cpl Rohaniza Roslan, Azilah’s girlfriend. The second was on the sequence of events that took place surrounding the
discovery of Shaariibuu’s belongings in Sirul Azhar’s apartment as testified by UTK personnel DSP
Yusri Hasan Basri. The two trials-within-a-trial are in relation to Section 27 of the Evidence Act.

The first involves allegations of Sirul Azhar leading the police investigation team to his apartment and to the discovery of personal items belonging to Altantuya in the pocket of a black jacket belonging
to him. The second involves allegations against Azilah where police investigators claimed he had led them to the crime scene and shown where the victim was shot and where she had been blown up after that. Last week, Azilah denied that he had done so.

“We will start hearing the submissions on July 23 and continue until it ends,” said Mohd Zaki, who earlier said the court diary was full until next year. Many cases have been postponed to make way for
this trial over the past year. Also present in court yesterday were Altantuya’s father Setev Shaariibuu, Mongolian consulate Datuk Syed Abdul Rahman Al Habshi and a Mongolian interpreter.

Setev had flown in on Sunday in anticipation of the ending of the case. Earlier, ASP Tonny Lunggan, who was the fourth and last witness for the trial-within-a-trial on Azilah’s alleged revelation on where Altantuya was shot and where she was blown up, said no video recording was taken of Azilah and Sirul leading the team of investigators to the alleged scene of the crime.

He said no order was given for this to be done and neither was it a practice for him to take video recordings of the accused identifying the crime scene during his investigations.

All over the internet there are blog entries on the claims from Raja Petra that he has information on who was actually present at the murder of Altantuya. I do not believe its responsible blogging to write about things that are not proven true, and though when I first read about the allegations I was shocked! If true, they will have serious reprecusions, though I don’t trust the Malaysian police or the powers that be to really investigate crimes. Our police are definitely not apolitical, and its very obvious that they only take actions when the government allows them to do so. I fear that justice in this case will never see the light. Sigh.

[source]
KUALA LUMPUR: Police will be calling up Malaysia Today editor Raja Petra Kamaruddin to investigate allegations in his recent statutory declaration on purported facts related to the murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan said the three individuals named in the document filed on June 18 would also be called up.

In the declaration, Raja Petra claimed that the trio – one of them a prominent woman – were present at the scene during the murder of the Mongolian translator in October 2006.

Copies of the two-paged declaration together with the identity of the trio have been posted on various blog sites.

In the document, Raja Petra said he was “reliably informed” of these allegations.

Musa said the matter could be sub judice as the Altantuya murder case was still being heard.

He also said Raja Petra must be “brave enough to face the consequences if he is bold enough” to make the allegations.

Meanwhile, the Attorney-General’s Chambers has lodged a police report against Raja Petra over the statutory declaration.

Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail said the allegations were “highly defamatory” and if found untrue, those making the allegations would have to face the consequences.

“We want to investigate because we want the truth. As far as I am concerned, we have to look at it seriously.”

“If it’s true, we will act accordingly. If not, the writer will be investigated,” he said, adding that the report was lodged in Putrajaya on Saturday.

Raja Petra said he expected to be called up.

He said he was bold enough to face the consequences.